Air-cooling apparatus



(No Mod-e1.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

. J. R. GooK.

AIR GOOLINGAPPARATUS.

No. 534,549. Patented Feb. 1 9, 1895.

Hlil

(No Model.) 2 sheets- Sheena J. R. 900K. AIR COOLING APPARATUS. No.534,549. Patented Feb. 19, 1895.

TED STATES JOHN R. ooox, or

PIOCHE, NEVADA.

AIR-COOLING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 534,549, dated February19, 1895.

Application iled February 23, 1894. Serial No. 501,194. (No model.)

To a/ZZ wiz/0m it may concern! Be it known that I, JOHN R. COOK, acitinenof the United States, residing at Pioche, 1n the county ofLincoln and State of Nevada, have invented a new and useful Air-Coolerand Ventilator, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates toair cooling apparatus; and it has for itsobject to effect certain improvements in that class of apparatus whichreduce the temperature of the air from the outer atmosphere, and supplythe same to b ulldings for the purpose of cooling and ve ntllating thesame, or to refrigerating rooms or other places for cold storagepurposes.

To this end the main and primary object of the present invention is toeffect certain iinprovements in air cooling apparatus whereby a muchlower temperature may be secured than ordinarily, and such temperaturemaintained while the apparatus is in operation.

With these and other objects in view, which will readily appear as thenature of the inven tlon 1s better understood, the same consists in thenovel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinaftermore fully I described, illustrated, and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings:-Figure l is a perspective view of an aircooling apparatus constructed in accordance with this invention, the toplid or cover of the cooling box or tank being removed. Fig. 2 is acentral vertical longitudinal sectional view thereof. Fig. 3 is avertical sectional view on the line .ocof Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is an enlargeddetail sectional view of a portion of. the pervious air cooling pipe.Fig. 5 is a detail in perspective of the perforated drip pan fitted inthe top of the cooling box or tank. i

Referring to the accompanying drawings, A represents a water tightcooling box or tank adapted to be located in any convenient positionwhere the apparatus may be best adapted for work, and said box isprovided at one end thereof with the bottom cold water sink or trap B,and with a removable top lid or cover C, to provide convenient access tothe interior of the cooling box when dcsired.

The inner walls and bottom of the cooling box or tank A, are providedwith a metal lining D, to insure the exclusion of the outer air,

the top to the bottom of the box or tank, in Y,

order to provide a long circuit or passage for the air to be cooled, andthereby subject the same to the refrigerating or cooling action of.

the apparatus for al considerable period of time, and insure thereduction of the temperature of the air to a degree sufficiently low forany desired purpose.

The horizontal convolutions F, of the pervious air cooling pipe E,encircle a tubular housing G, of an approximate oval shape, and arisingto a point near the top of the cooling box to inclose in the centralspace, formed by the convolutions of the pipe, the pumping devices to bepresently described, while at the same time serving as aformer or Shaperto hold the vconvolutions of the pipe one above the other in the directpath'of the dripping water which is adapted to seep therethrough. Oneend of the pipe E, is fitted to the inlet pipe H, projecting through oneend or side of the cooling box to supply the cooling coil with the airtobe cooled, wh-ile the other end of the supply pipe, or the coil formedthereby, connects with a suction pipe l, extending through one end orside of the cooling box and connected to the inlet of an exhaust orvacuum-forming fan J, arranged in a convenient posit-ion outside of thecooling box and driven from the electric or other motor K, by the belt7c, belted to such motor and also to the shaftof the exhaust fan. Thedischarge pipe J', of the exhaust fan is adapted to discharge the cooledair into a suitable line of piping which conducts such air to the pointof use which may be buildings to be cooled and ventilated, or coldstorage rooms.

The pervious air cooling pipe E, is constructed with special referenceto the rapid evaporation of water which is allowed to per- IOO meate orseep through the same, and such pipe consists of a spiral wire core L,incased Y in the stiff perforate or screen tube M, which is preferablymade of very coarse screen to provide for a free circulation of theexhausting air with the pervious covering N, for properly keeping thelatter to its shape, said covering being wrapped around the perforatetube M, and is of a suitable cloth material which allows the Water toseep through the pipe and undergo the evaporation which cools the airexhausted through the several convolutions of the pipe by the exhaustfan J.

The requisite quantity of Water is continually fed onto the convolutionsof the air cooling pipe, or cooling coil formed thereby,from the upperremovable water pan O. The water pan O, is provided with flanged ends 0,held onto the top edges of the cooling box by the lid or cover C, and isadapted to tit in the upper end of the cooling box above the topconvolution of the cooling coil. The said Water pan O,is provided withaseries of bottom drip openings P, arranged directly over the coolingpipe and following the convolutions thereof whereby the Water from suchpan falls directly onto the cooling pipe through which it seeps as justdescribed, and said Water pan O, is further provided With a centralIianged opening Q, disposed in a line above the upper end of the tubularhousing G, arranged inside of the cooling box and Within theconvolutions of the pervious air cooling pipe, to accommodate the upperdischarge pipe R, of a rotary or other suitable type of pump S, theinlet pipe T, of which, extends into the cold Water sink or trap B, atone bottom end of the cooling box, the other bottom portion of which maybe inclined, if desired, to direct the water which reaches the bottom ofthe box into the sink or trap at one end thereof.

The lift pump S, is conveniently arranged inside of the housing G, andis geared with the operating friction wheel U, mounted at one end of asuitable shaft projecting through one side or end of the cooling box andadapted to be engaged by the upper portion of the belt 7c, from theelectric motor to the exhaust fan, so that the pump will be operatedsimultaneously with the other part of the apparatus.

From the above description it will be obvious that as the air is drawnthrough the cooling pipe E, by the exhaust or suction fan J, the waterdrips from the upper water pan onto the pipe and seeps through the sameso as to undergo a certain degree of evaporation and thereby cool theair, and it will be also clear that after a time the water which reachesthe cold water rink or trap B, of the cooling box will be itself reducedin temperature whereby it will be more efficient in cooling the air asit is used over and over again by means of the pump S, which lifts theWater from the sink or trap B, and discharges the same into the upperWater pan. From time to time additional water may be introduced into thewater tank, to supply that lost by evaporation, in any convenientmanner.

The apparatus herein described is thought to be especially ecient inoperation by reason of the fact that the supply air is exhausted throughthe line of cooling pipe E, instead of being forced therethrough as isusual in other apparatus of an analogous nature, for it is wellunderstood that evaporation is much greaterin an attenuated atmospherc,than under pressure, and is consequently much more effective.

Changes in the form, proportion andthe minor details of construction maybe resorted to Without departing from the principle or sacrificing anyof the advantages of this invention, and at this point it may be furtherobserved that, if desirable, a suitable cotton or other waste filling X,may be placed between the convolutions of the cooling pipe to retain themoisture therein.

The herein described apparatus may be used in a variety of differentWays, and for cold storage purposes Where a low temperature is required,the same is to be placed on the inside of the room to be cooled, or soarranged as to draw the air from the cold storage room and exhaust theair back again through the exhauster into the same room. In this Way Ionly cool a given amount of air, and by continuously circulating it inthe manner described, will cool the same to a much lower degree thanordinarily attained. However, in adapting the apparatus for this use,the air in the cooled room would necessarily soon become thoroughlysaturated With moisture so as to interfere with or entirely preventevaporation, but to obviate this I may employ sulphuric acid, calciumchloride, or other chemicals having a strong affinity for water, and byplacing such chemicals at the mouth of the exhauster and at the inlet ofthe apparatus or other desirable point, the air Will be keptcomparatively dry so as to insure a continuous evaporation of the Waterinside of the cooler.

Having thus described the invention, What is claimed, and desired to besecured by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination of a Water tight cooling box provided With a coldWater sink or trap at the bottom thereof, a convoluted pervious coolingpipe coiled within said box, an exhaust fan connected with one end ofsaid pipe to attenuate the circulating air therein, a central tubularmetallic housing arranged inside of the cooling box and Within theconvolutions of the cooling pipe, a perforated Water pan fitted Withinthe top of the box above said tubular housing, a lift pump arrangedinside of said tubular housing to elevate the water from the bottom sinkor trap to the Water pan and operating means for said pump and fan,substantially as set forth.

2. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with a watertight cooling box; of the convolute cooling pipe arranged Within the boxand consisting of a flexible wire coil core, astiff perforate or screentube M incasing said core, and a pervious cloth covering exteriorlyWrapped aroundV said stiff IOO IIO

IZO

tube, a waste lling between each convolution of pipe, an exhaust panconnected with said pipe to attenuate the air therein, and means forsupplying water onto said pipe, substantially as setvforth.

3. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of ametal-lined cooling box provided in the bottom and at one end with acold water sink ortrap,a convoluted pervious cooling pipe coiled withinthe box and having one end opening into the outer air, a suction orexhaust fan connected with the other end of said pipe, a waste fillingbetween each convolution of pipe, a central tubular housing arrangedinside of the cooling box and the convolutions of the cooling pipe, aWater In testimony that I claim the foregoing as, 25

my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

JOI-IN R. COOK.

Witnesses:

WM. CLARK, J. D. CAMPBELL.

